This invention is directed toward an improved indicator post for an underground valve or a valve within a building and components for the improved indicator post.
Underground valves are employed in various industrial applications, such as main water lines, sprinkler systems, water cooling systems, etc. Such lines and systems are underground to avoid frost damage and have an operator member above ground in the form of an indicator post which operates such underground valves and indicate the position of the valves, that is whether the valves are open or shut. The indicator post has a stem member which extends from above the ground to connect to the stem of the underground valve so that the valve can be operated from above ground. The post also has a window above ground in which a target with the words "open" or "shut," or other words with a similar meaning, appear to indicate the position of the hidden valve. In other situations, valves are sometimes located within buildings or special housings, and it is required to have an operating member outside the building. In such a situation an indicator post may be wall mounted with a horizontal stem member.
The known indicator posts generally are expensive to manufacture and have the valve position indicators or targets with words thereon adjustable because the number of rotations of the valve stem between open and shut valve positions varies depending on the valve used, and thus the distance between the open indicator and the shut indicator may be different for each type of valve. Thus most indicator posts require a means for adjusting the position of these targets so the indicator posts suit many type of valves.
The known indicator posts also have relatively expensive viewing windows, employing specific window frames and gaskets. The known windows are usually flat thus limiting the viewing field so that a viewer has to be almost exactly in front of the window in order to read the valve position indicator. Furthermore, since most of these flat windows have their edges projecting somewhat from the casing of the post, they can be easily damaged if the post is accidently hit.